Saturday’s note recap

A day after attending a very special personal matter, Michael Bourn rejoined his teammates Saturday. But he was out of the starting lineup for the third consecutive game since suffering a sore left groin Tuesday. Jason Michaels, who hit two home runs Friday, started in center field for the third consecutive game.

“I think it’s fine,” Bourn said of his groin. “I think it’s OK. I’m going to go see if I’m ready today. I know J-Mike is playing today, but I think I’m Ok. …

“It doesn’t feel like it’s grabbing or anything like that right now. Usually my groin grabs even when I walk with something like that, but we’ll see when I get out there and go full speed.”

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Lance Berkman, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left calf, took batting practice and had some treatment in the trainer’s room. He hopes to try to do some light running Sunday.

“I did a bunch of exercises with it yesterday and I think they want to go every other day for a while to kind of see how it responds and go from there,” said Berkman, who will resume the exercises he did Friday, when he did some calf raises and four sets of 50 jumps with a jump rope.

“I think it just takes longer than everybody wants it to,” he said. “I do think that they’re cautious and they don’t want to put me in a position where I’ll end up like a (Jose) Valverde situation. Because if it ends up like that I’ll be done for the year. I think it stinks because if this was earlier in the season you might take a chance and say, ‘well, we’ll see how it does.’ But we’re kind of in a bad spot because it’s kind of ‘dang if you do, dang if you don’t.'”

Berkman, who was eligible to be activated from the DL on Friday, remains optimistic about convincing the club he can be activated early this week during the four-game series against the Florida Marlins.

“I think (Berkman) is feeling better,” Cecil Cooper said. “Certainly, not this weekend. I would think sometime, for me, in the Florida series.”

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A day after throwing a light bullpen, Roy Oswalt noted that his lower back responded well.

“I’m good,” said Oswalt, who hasn’t pitched since exiting with a lower left back strain after 1 2/3 innings on July 28. “I’m ready to go. I could pitch today if I needed to.”

Barring a setback during his bullpen today, Oswalt will start Tuesday against the Marlins.

“Tomorrow I’ll just throw a regular bullpen and then Tuesday I’ll start,” he said. “I’m relieved. I missed two starts and it feels like I missed eight months.”

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Righthander Yorman Bazardo, 25, joined the Astros on Saturday after the Astros purchased his contract to take the spot vacated when righthander Felipe Paulino was optioned back to Class AAA Round Rock late Friday night.

“I’m just glad to be here,” said Bazardo, a Pacific Coast League All-Star this year. “Hopefully I’m going to try to get my job done.”

Bazardo didn’t expect to pitch Saturday, but he was used for an inning and gave up five runs (four earned) on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts over one inning.

Bazardo, 25, was 9-6 with a 3.20 ERA at Class AAA Round Rock. He signed with the Astros as a minor-league free agent after he was released by the Philadelphia Phillies this spring, and he credits Express pitching Burt Hooton with helping him regain his confidence.

“At the beginning my confidence was a little down and he made me start trusting my stuff,” Bazardo said of Hooton, the former Astros pitching coach. “I think that was the main thing. I started trusting my stuff a little more. I was healthy, and I think that was one of the main things.

“I was able to be better with all my pitches with men on base. I had more confidence in all pitches. All my pitches are fine. It wasn’t about mechanics.”

Bazardo throws a fastball, changeup and slider. He’ll serve as a long reliever and perhaps get a start later in the season if needed.

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Coming up: LHP Wandy Rodriguez (10-6, 2.63 ERA) will make his first start since straining his right hamstring last Saturday.